In general, Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) consists of a community of individuals or families who pledge support to a farm, with the growers and consumers providing mutual support and sharing both the risks and rewards of the farm.

Typically, members or "shareholders" of the farm pledge in advance to cover the anticipated costs of the farm operation and farmer's salary. In return, they receive shares in the farm's bounty throughout the growing season, as well as satisfaction gained from reconnecting to the land and participating directly in food production.

It is hard to provide a firm definition of CSA, as there are now thousands of CSAs across the country and all have adopted their own unique version of how a CSA operates.

You can find many articles about, and examles of, CSA operations on the internet. It is a fascinating phenomena connecting people more directly to their farmers and has given opportunity for many young people to begin careers in farming that previously seemed out of reach.